From The College Solution comes some great advice on making a plan for your application process.

While the advice seems common sense on the surface, they provide such gems as how much time to budget (hint: it’s way more than you’d expect!) and how to lower the total amount of time you spend.

Many schools are starting this week, but almost all will be in session within only a few weeks. Best to map out a solid plan now, before your first big AP tests, homecoming dances, and midnight movie premiers, than to try to jam everything in at the last minute.

The debate that examines whether going to college is worth it has been around since higher education was founded, continues today, and will undoubtedly continue through the foreseeable future. Of course opinions on this topic vary, and valuable points are often made on both sides. The true discussion, though, centers around the cost of going to college and whether you (and your family) can afford it.

Not sure if college is worth it? Read this article from the Wall Street Journal for an economic/investment perspective

Okay, college may be worth it, but is it possible to graduate debt free? Here’s one account of how possible it is (here’s a hint – don’t simply accept that taking out loans and extremely large debt after four years is inevitable).

One of the biggest questions prospective students ask themselves is whether to stay near home or apply to schools out-of-state.

How do you decide?

Of course, this is a very personal decision that can involve a large number of variables, but the sooner you start seriously thinking about it the better off you’ll be. Here are just a few examples of things you might consider:

Do you want to know lots of students at your institution, or do you want to reinvent yourself?

Is being able to get home easily over the weekend important?

What’s the cost difference between in-state and out-of-state tuition?

See what trends are happening in California – which California schools have the highest rate of in-state students, which have the lowest, and most importantly, does that matter to you?!

The answer to that question (of course) is that it depends. The folks over at CBS have some advice on which category you may fall into, however.

From the blog:

Teenagers who earn high ACT scores are more likely to:

Possess a strong memory.

Be fast readers.

Process information swiftly.

Teenagers who earn high SAT scores are more likely to:

Possess a strong vocabulary.

Be a strong reader.

Enjoy test-taking strategies.

As a test prep tutor, I tend to favor the ACT. Why? Because I believe it is more coachable. The ACT mirrors actual classwork a bit more closely, but it requires a quicker pace. The ACT mirrors more of an AP exam, and has more difficult-to-see traps and tricks. If a student likes that sort of challenge, the SAT is great! But if a student just wants to get a decent score with the least amount of work, the ACT is the right test to take.

The only real way to know which one to take is to take a full length practice exam of each. Both the SAT and ACT have a single test available for free, available here (SAT) and here (ACT). See which one you like more. Unless there’s a huge score difference (and there likely isn’t going to be one), take the one you like the best. You’ll do better just because you’re more comfortable.

If you’ve started school and found—for whatever reason—your college or university of choice is not the right fit; don’t fret. Thousands of students transfer to different schools each year.

But some schools are much more likely to accept transfers than others, according to a report released last week by U.S. News & World report, which tracks college rankings.

And the proportion of students who do transfer at least once during their college experience is as high as one in three according to the report.

The largest number of transfer students ended up in California, Florida and Texas, with some California schools receiving high rankings for the percentage of transfers accepted in 2011, the last year tracked by U.S. News.

California state college Sacramento accepted nearly 87% of its transfer applicants that year. Arizona State had the greatest number of incoming transfers, at more than 6,700.

As summer is winding down and summer reading, college applications and essays are all starting to weigh on your mind, it’s time to also consider when or if you’ll be taking the fall SATs or ACTs.

Among the advice for Seniors shared by CollegeView, “57 percent of students improve their ACT score on the second attempt,” although they also caution that “test prep—and test taking itself—can distract you from completing applications and maintaining those crucial senior-year grades that many colleges will begin requesting in January.”

Another thing to keep in mind is if the repeated attempts will negatively impact your application. If you are taking the ACT, the colleges and universities you apply to will never know how many times you’ve taken it, whether it was just once or their max of 12 times. This means you have little to lose (other than precious time) by taking it again.

However, if you are taking the SAT, this can be quite a different discussion altogether. Many schools still refuse the ScoreChoice option, so taking it again and scoring lower could impact your chances at a school. Of course if you score higher, it would only help. But there is also the likelihood of your score staying the same, or even dropping a little, in which case it might be best to focus your energies on other ways to improve your application.

Because your personal statement is a major opportunity to come alive on the page for the collage admissions officer reading your application, drawing the reader in from the first sentence is essential.

That’s where your “lead” comes in.

Read your first sentence to yourself. Does it tell a story? Does it say something strong about who you are? Most importantly: is it possible or likely that someone else could be starting his or her essay in the same way?

If the answer to that last question is yes, scrap your first sentence and start again. Make sure your first sentence isn’t one that has been done before. You only have one chance to hook the reader. Use it to your full advantage!

“Essays now carry a 250-word minimum and a 650-word maximum, an increase of 500 from last year. Additionally, where in the past students would aim for somewhere around 500 words, the 650-word maximum is now enforced. The essay box will keep a running tally and cut off at the maximum. As a result, word choice and concision will be essential.”

Have you started your personal statement for your applications due in Fall 2013? The new prompts will go into effect in August. Check out the prompts.